FANTASY PREVIEWS - WEEK 14

December 10, 2005 3:00 PM ET

All eyes are on Colts-Jaguars and Buccaneers-Panthers in week 14…well, all except ours, which will be watching all 16 games. It's the first round of the fantasy football playoffs for many leagues, and here are a few of the many things we're eager to witness.

Fear the Turtle: No, we're not talking about Lark Voorhies. Yes, you should be ashamed if you understand that reference. The title refers to former Maryland Terrapins' and former New York Jets' running back LaMont Jordan, who will be returning to the Meadowlands in order to face Gang Green. Jordan averages a paltry 3.1 yards-per-carry on the road and has yet to rush for a touchdown away from home, but we're guessing that a showdown with Curtis Martin and a weak Jets' run defense will bring out the best in LaMont.

Don't Fear the Huskie: Sticking in that same game, we're mildly interested in watching quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo take his first snaps since 2003. The former second-round pick has attempted only 49 passes throughout his career and is still looking for his first touchdown. The Jets rank sixth in the NFL against the pass, and we aren't expecting good things out of Tuiasosopo. Then again, he has Jordan, Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, and Doug Gabriel on his squad, and there was a reason he was drafted so early in 2001, right?

Elephant Books: Most NFL fans and experts will likely tell you that Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James are the only two candidates for the NFL rushing title, but Tiki Barber is the proverbial elephant in the room. Barber is 155 yards behind Alexander, but he's on the rise after rushing for 112, 151 and 115 yards in the previous three games. This week he faces the rival Eagles, who've allowed Tiki to pile up 111, 125, 110 and 112 yards in their last four meetings.

Freddy Got Fingered: We're not disclosing which finger we are currently directing at Fred Taylor, but we may be willing to chance our tune if he hits the field with determination this Sunday. If the Jaguars have any chance of flashing a single index finger (as in, "Hooray, we just won!") at the Colts, they'll need their most potent weapon in uniform. Taylor has averaged 107 rushing yards and 5.2 yards-per-carry against the Colts over their past five meetings, and the fragile running back has been practicing for two weeks. Fantasy owners shouldn't trust Taylor this week, but we'll be checking to see if he earns a second straight healthy inactive, if he splits the workload with Greg Jones, or if he looks fresh after time off.

Crazy Like a Fox: First Cocoa Puffs and now DeShaun Foster. Fantasy owners seem to be going cuckoo for the Panthers' new starting running back, but in case you hadn't noticed, the Falcons aren't that hard to run against. They allow 4.6 yard-per-carry, which ranks ahead of only the Rams, Bills, and Texans' run-stopping units. The Buccaneers are an entirely different story, as their 3.4 yards-per-carry mark is only slightly behind the Steelers and Bears. Also, fantasy owners might want to consider the fact that since John Fox became a head coach, the Panthers have rushed for 67, 71, 60, 89, 62, 46, and 44 yards against the Buccaneers. Carolina running backs have managed one rushing score over that span. Good luck, DeShaun.

Drew or Die: Drew Bennett has been just active enough in the Titans' passing game (six, five and six catches over the last three games) to stick around on fantasy rosters, but he hasn't posted better than 61 yards or found the end zone since week five. If he's lingered on your club all this time, it's likely because you saw the "Home vs. HOU" on the radar. Steve McNair has a history of torching the weak Texans' defense, and Bennett posted 99 yards and a score against Dom Capers' club earlier this season. If Drew doesn't step up this week, he might as well be sent to the waiver wire.

Swing State: When the Browns last made the trek on I-71 to Cincinnati, the two clubs piled up 106 points and 993 yards. Wow. We're pretty sure that Charlie Frye and the Browns won't be able to keep pace with Carson Palmer and the Bengals this Sunday, but fantasy owners who are holding Palmer, Rudi Johnson, Chad Johnson, and/or T.J. Houshmandzadeh have to feel pretty good about this matchup.

Top Billing: J.P Losman and Lee Evans have hooked up for five scores over the past four games, and they'll be taking on a Patriots' pass defense that's pretty much been torched by everyone not named Brooks Bollinger. Fantasy owners are undoubtedly drooling over the hot duo against the cold defense, but, frankly, we need to see more before we feel like these Bills are money. Losman is anything but trustworthy at this point in his career, and Evans will draw more attention with Sam Aiken filling in for Eric Moulds.

What up, Holmes?: Shaun Alexander. At home. Versus 49ers. How are you feeling about that touchdown record, Priest? Alexander already owns 13 scores through six home games, and he's rushed for multiple touchdowns in three straight games against the 49ers. We're already giggling. Fantasy owners will also want to note how the Seahawks' passing game performs if Darrell Jackson returns.

First Team to Six Wins: Now we're yawning. The Bears-Steelers matchup invokes images of Mike Singletary and Jack Lambert and projects to be a defense-lover's dream. Unfortunately, fantasy owners don't often enjoy quality defense, and we'll be watching to see if Brad Maynard and Chris Gardocki can set an NFL record for punts. Thomas Jones may be the only player worthy of using in fantasy leagues.

Young Dolphin Visits Sea World: When discussing Ronnie Brown's skill set throughout the offseason and preseason, NFL insiders casually and favorably compared him to LaDainian Tomlinson. Honestly, we heard and read it more than once. The rookie will have a chance to compare himself with the San Diego stud this Sunday, and we have a feeling that Tomlinson will come out ahead. Call it a hunch.

Ill-Eagles: At least publicly, Eagles' head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Brad Childress have stated that they will use a running back committee of Ryan Moats, Lamar Gordon, and Reno Mahe this Sunday. Moats earned a lot of praise throughout training camp and the preseason and he appears to have upside, but will Reid give him enough touches? Or is there no longer any fantasy value in this backfield? Fantasy owners need to avoid this situation on Sunday, but we're interested to see how the team operates without Brian Westbrook.

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